Device for releasing tractor clutches



. 1927i y "an, 1.1 ,v l.. HoFs'l-AD DEVICE FQR RELEASNG TRACTOR CLUTCHESI :mentor Patented Jan.'11, 1927.

DEVICE FOR RELASING TRACTOR CLUTCHES.

Application med June 12,

The present invention relates to a device for releasing a tractor clutchby means of a lever and a spring controllable from a .eiliciently and ina reliable manner therewithl A still further very important object ofthe invention is to provide a device of this nature which is simple inits construction,

inexpensiveto manufacture, strong, durable, easy to manipulate, notlikely to easily become out of order, and otherwise well adapted to thepurpose forwhich itis designed.

With the aboveand numerous other ob`` -jects in View as will appear asy.the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novelfeatures of construction, and in the combination and arrangement o fparts` as willbe hereinafter more fully described i and claimed.

' In the drawing uf..

Figure 1 is- 'an elevation of -the device4 showing the manner `in whichthe same is used in conjunction with a" tractor, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal seption through a telescopic connecting rodused in conjunction with the device.

'Referring to the drawing in detail, 'it will be seen the. numeral"5designates' a base lat tache-d to the tractor by means of suitable.' orany preferred fastening elements 6. This base 5y is provided with aquadrant 7 lhayinfr a pair of notches and 9 formed thereina.D /A leveris pivted a'sat] 11 to the i-base' 5 andhasa dog l12 pivotally mountedthereon fo'igasfsocirating with then-notches 8 handle y13 isrpivoted tothe upper endl' Aof the level" 10 as at lt'and-I has a lateral 'lextension ltowhich is attached aspring \1'6 also attached to the freeend of thex dog p l bythe sections 28 and 29 andfthe springs a .looseconnection 18 with the pivoted handle 13, and a vpivotal connection asat 19 with the engaging end of the d0g 12,` so

will be disposed inits releasing.

soon' 'as the h l192e. serial No. 115,510.

that when the handle is pivoted in bne direction, said dog will bereleased from engavement with either of the notches 8 and 9.

coiled spring 20 is attached to an intermediate portion of the lever 19as at'21 while the other end thereof is on an eye bolt 22 extendingthrough a portion 23 of the tractor on Which the base 5 is mounted sothat the spring-20 may be tensioned by a nut 24 on the bolt 22. y

-A conventional form .of tractor is' illustrated partially in Fig. 1,-by dotted lines and includes the y"usual operating pulleyw25 and clutchpedal 26. A telescopic rod 'Rjis disposed between the lever and4 theclutch. pedal. This telescopic rod yR includes an inner section 28slidable in a tubular sec-` tion 29, a spring 30 bein disposed in thetubular section 29 for urging the inner section 28 outwardlythereof to acertain eX- tent. A U-bolt structure 31 is provided on -the end voftheouter section 29 for en agep be readily seen, therefore, that by'pulling upon the cable 34,' the handle 13 will be rocked to disengagetlie dog 12, through'the intermediacyy of link 17 from engagement withthe notch 9,thereby allowing the continued pulling 'of the cable andspringK 20 to swing theleverl() until thel dog engages the notchj 8 at'which' time the .clutch pedaL osition since the rod 28 willhaveitelescope as Afar i `"etrem'e right position'jas shownin Fig.'.1,

it -'s-necessaryVthatlthel operator grasp the handle 13 and swing .thesamejto the rightl untill the. dog 12v engages in the notch 9.

The resilient connectionfwhic-hds provided l 30 of the rodRcalloivsforfcompensation of the necessary-play# It as been releaSedEromthe .notch`9, they s ring 2O `is tensionedjsufciently tdactu ypullvthevlever 10 so as to release the clutch. Thisspring may bemaintained at proper tension through the nut 24 and bolts 22.

Then the device just" described is not to be used, a safetyY member inthe form of a strap 37 may be used, this strap being attached either tothe lever 10- or the quadrant 7 and havingr detachable connection eitherwith the quadrant 'i' or the lever l0. `When the lever l() is thuslocked against use by,

` tains the yfeatures of advantages enumerated as desirable in thestatement of the invention and the above description.;

t will be apparent that changes 1n the details of construction, and inthe combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinaterclaimed, or sacrificing any of its advantages.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:-v i n l. Adevice of the class describedl including, in combination, a base, aquadrant on' the base provided with a pair of spacednotches, a'leverpivoted on the base, a dog pivoted on the lever engage'abl-e with thenotches of the quadrant, a handle pivoted on the lever, a spring engagedwith the handle and With the dog for normally holding the dog inanengaged position, alink engaged With the dog andwiththe handle so thatby swinging the handle the dog may 'be released. I

. 2. A device ot the class described including, in combination, a base,Ia quadrant on the base provided with a pairfof spaced notches, a leverpivoted on the base, a dog pivotedn the lever engageable withV thenotches of the quadrant, a handle pivoted on the lever, a spring engagedwith the handle and with the dog for normally holding the dog inY anengaged position, a. link en-` gaged With the dog and with the handle sothat by swinging the handle the dog may be released, a telescopic rodpivotally engaged with an intermediate portion of the lever and adaptedto be engaged with the clutch pedal.

3. A device of the class described including, in combination, a base, aquadrant on the base provided With a pair of spaced notches, a leverpivotedvon the base, a dog pivoted onY the lever engageable with thenotches of the quadrant, a handle pivoted on the lever, a spring engagedwith the handle and with the dog for normally holding the dog in anengaged position, a link len gaged with the dog and With the handle sothat by swinging the handle the dog may be released, `a telescopic rodpivotally engaged with an intermediate portion of the lever and adaptedto be engaged With the clutch pedal, a spring engaged with anintermediate portion of the lever for normally swinging it to aposition` 'for releasing the clutch pedal, and means for tensioning thespring.

4. A device of the class described including, in combination, `a base, aquadrant on the base provided With a pair of spaced notches, a leverpivoted on the base, a dog pivoted on thev lever, engageable Withthenotches of the quadrant, a handle pivoted o n the lever, a springengaged with the handle and With the dog for normally holding the dog inan engaged position, a link engaged with the dog and with the handle sothat by `swinging the handle thedog may be released, a te escopic rodpivotally engaged with an intermediateportion of the lever and adaptedto be engaged with the clutch pedal, a spring engaged with an,intermediate portion of the lever dor normally swinging it to a position L:forreleasing the clutch pedal, means for tensioning thev spring, a cableattached to the handle inorder that it may be operated at a distancefrom the tractor. l

5. A device of the class described including, in combination, a base, aquadrant on the base having a pair o spaced notches, a lever pivoted onthe base, a' dog pivoted on the lever engageable with the notches of thequadrant, a handle in the end ot' the lever,

a link pivoted tothe handle and to the dog so that by swinging thehandle in one direction, the dog may be released, a spring en-y gagedwith the handle and the dog for normally holding the dog engaged in oneof the notches, a cable attached to the handlel in order ythat it may beoperated from a remote point, a rod section pivotally enien elgaged withthe 'handle atan intermediate c .portion thereof, a tubular rodsectionreceiving the first rod section, means on the tubular rod section forattachingl it to a. clutch pedal, a spring in the tubular rod sectionfor impinging against the inncrrod scction, a spring engaged with anintermediate portion uof the lever for urging it to a posi- Vtion rto'release the clutch, and'tensioning means associated "with sardlastmentioned spring. f

lln testimony whereof l ax my signature. LEF HOFSTAD,

